These stamps have quite attractive photographs and the set includes a mix of 2nd and 1st class stamps which will please letter writers across the country - as well as those collectors who are still buying everything that Royal Mail churns out.
But why? This is a continuation of the Animals and Nature series - but we had Garden WIldlife in March, and Mushrooms in July. At this rate can we expect Royal Mail to be issuing as many stamps as their fulfilment services in Duxford and Edinburgh, and the printers, can cope with?
I've delayed so far and I must now quote to you Royal Mail's justification for this set - aside from the fact that they know collectors will but them there are, apparently a lot of influencers out there videoing ducks - I kid you not!
Reason (slightly edited)
Royal Mail are excited to reveal a set of 10 stamps celebrating the UK species of ducks. Of over 120 duck species globally, 22 are found in the UK, inhabiting our rivers, wetlands, coasts, and estuaries.
Ducks have become surprisingly collectible (albeit mostly the rubber variety!) and are now a full-blown TikTok sensation with adorable ducks waddling through kitchens to pet ducks splashing in bath tubs, the hashtag #ducks has racked up hundreds of thousands of posts and millions of views.
With these stamps we extend our animals and nature series of issues, with a set of ten stamps featuring many of the popular breeds found in the UK both in flight and in their natural environment.
The stamps
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| Set of 5 x 2nd class and 5 x 1st class stamps featuring British ducks issued 11 September 2025. |
2nd Class: Goosander, Indian Runner, Mallard Duckling, Mandarin and Call.
1st Class: Aylesbury, Pintail, Silver Appleyard, Shelduck, and Eider.
Now I know it's fine to show both male and female of the species, but the male eider is one of the most distinctive ducks in the country. Not just for its call but for its striking plumage of black and white, with green patches and a pink lower breast. (What other bird has this colour green?) Seen widely but especially on the east coast from Aberdeenshire to Northumberland this is one you couldn't fail to identify - once seen never forgottne. But not the female on the stamp which, from a distance, looks much like many other female ducks.
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| Male eider duck pictured in a harbour on Aberdeenshire's north coast. |
Technical details and acknowledgements
The 37 x 35 mm stamps are printed in two sheets of 50 in litho with ordinary gum by Cartor Security Printers, perf 14½ x 14. Design was by Michael O'Shea and copyright Royal Mail Group Ltd 2025.
Collectors Sheet
A collectors sheet consisting of the 10 stamps in the set with accompanying labels of ducks in their natural habitat. The stamps and labels are set with the lower border showing a female Goosander carrying her chicks.
Note: The Collector Sheet is printed on self-adhesive paper so these stamps are a print variety.
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Products available
Set of 10 stamps, first day cover, presentation pack, collectors sheet, framed set, framed sheet.
I'm ever so slightly disappointed with this set. The subject matter is fine but at least two of the photos are very poor compositionally being chopped-off as they are. You're also spot on about the Eider and the Mallard Duckling is a little incongruous amongst all the other adult birds.
ReplyDeleteI have stopped collecting new issues of Royal Mail stamps because I found the themes or topics repetitive. With a total face value of £12.85 with no collectible value, it is not interesting to me at all. Royal Mail appears to save the budget in stamp designs and may just want to print stamps with any photo backgrounds with a face value.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing to be said in their favour is that (like the previous 5x1st, 5x2nd issues) they are subjectively 'better' than using bland definitives for UK inland mail.
DeleteAs desirable collectibles, they fail miserably - but, then again, collectors reach a point where the actual content is irrelevant (these will be purchased out of habit, to be placed in a drawer or album perhaps unexamined or with barely a cursory glance).
Agreed. Part of my silence here is due to spending a lot of time sorting out my accumulations of GB postal history, mostly the four Kings at present. Aside from the covers still containing letters, and the airletters which have also been a good read, finding material sent for 1d all over the world has been very entertaining - it will, eventually, appear on the Postal History blog.
DeleteA big fan of this release! Love the photos, the colours and overall impression - and finally... 2nd class options again!
ReplyDeleteI was probably quite naively hoping this would be an issue celebrating the diversity of native duck species in the UK. Instead, it's a weird combination of domestic breeds, some wild species and a duckling? You're spot on about eider ducks. Reading that TikTok trends inspired this annoyed me because it further confirms that RM probably didn't do any research or consult any ornithologists before issuing this. TikTok animal trends can be quite dangerous. They often encourage people to acquire animals as pets without knowledge of the subject, resulting in animals being neglected and treated like toys. I think domestic breeds would best fit in a farm animals issue. What's the point of this one? I don't know
ReplyDeleteTo make money from members of the public
ReplyDeleteOnly ever seen 1 of these 10 Ducks and that was with orange sauce over it in a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking, it was a while since I had a Chinese.
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